


On the Roof

by InkstainedGwyn



Category: Persona 4
Genre: M/M, Mutual Longing, New Relationship, These two dorks, kanji's only in it a little bit
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-05-05
Updated: 2016-05-06
Packaged: 2018-06-06 15:09:21
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 4
Words: 7,800
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/6759067
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/InkstainedGwyn/pseuds/InkstainedGwyn
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Yu knows he's fucked everything up when Yosuke overhears him confessing to Kanji that he likes his best friend. How is he ever going to face Yosuke again - and come to think about it, why was Yosuke listening in on his talk with Kanji, after all?</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> So, this wasn't supposed to be the first story I posted here. I wasn't even a Yu/Souji x Yosuke fan, but then I read a fic, and now I'm lost. Sorry about the Seta Souji joke - I really like them both, for all that they're different to me, and I'm willing to make a Souji version of this available if anyone wants it. Hell, I don't even know if anyone's still reading fic about this ship any more, but here goes.
> 
> Here's my [tumblr](https://ohlookashinysquirrel.tumblr.com) if you want to poke at me.

“Senpai, can we talk? A-after school, maybe? On the roof?”

From the nervous look on Kanji’s face, Yu had an inkling of what this conversation was going to be about, but he showed no outward signs of recognition, merely nodding. “As long as Chie’s not there, or you don’t mind-”

“Oh, Chie-senpai’s already got plans, I checked earlier.” Kanji flushed a bit, and first bell rang. “Well, then, I’ll… um… see you.” He turned tail and dashed out of the classroom as Yosuke rushed in, panting, and threw himself into the seat behind Yu. 

“Shit, don’t know why I bring my bike to school, it broke down again. I should just bring my scooter.” He flopped his head down onto the desk, looking exhausted; a sweatdrop rolled from behind his ear and down his neck, and Yu tried not to trace its route with his eyes. 

_That’s so hot. Argh, Yosuke…_

He kept to himself, however, and finally, Yosuke looked up, even as Chie and Yukiko came in, likely from the bathroom. “What’d Kanji want?”

“Just to talk this afternoon.” Yu didn’t say anything more; it wasn’t his right to voice his suspicions, and even if he did, he knew Yosuke would be disgusted by them. Ever since Yu had come out to the group as liking both guys _and_ girls, Yosuke had kept a wary eye on his friendship with Kanji; it annoyed Yu from time to time, but he also realized that’s how Yosuke _was_ \- and to be fair, the guy had been a lot more open-minded after that. _Well, if not open-minded, he at least stopped calling everything “gay” and teasing Kanji about his shadow._

Yosuke narrowed his eyes - just a flash - and Yu knew his intuition had been correct. “Oh, cool, well I was gonna suggest we get skewers or something but then I remembered, I think I gotta work, anyway.”

Yu nodded. “You’ve been working a lot, lately.” He was glad for both the chance to change the subject and the chance to express his concerns. “Are you sure you’re not overdoing it?”

His friend snorted, looking up. “Are you kidding? Me? When have I ever _actually_ put in work I didn’t have to?”

They laughed even as countless memories flashed through Yu’s head. Yosuke walking home with him, Yosuke pulling holidays and weekends to help out his father at Junes, Yosuke’s reliability in the Shadow World… just, _Yosuke_ … He just wished he could actually say something, instead of taking part in his friend’s weirdly humble moment. 

The bell rang at that moment, cutting his reverie short, and Kashiwagi walked in, wearing her usual low-cut, flashy top; it was time for class to begin, and both of them settled down.

* * *

After school, Yosuke slowly packed his bag, trying to fight the listless feeling in his shoulders and the tightness in his stomach. Yu was already gone; he was always prompt on days he had plans, and had left to meet Kanji, Yosuke assumed, already. 

_Kanji. Shit. I’ve been waiting for this to hit the fan since Yu said… what he did… that day. What the hell? Since when, before then, did Kanji have a thing for him? It’s… stupid, he’s just taking advantage of_ \- gah. 

He headed out to the main stairs, but halfway down to the first floor he caught a glimpse through the window of Kanji and Yu climbing the far stairs, which surprised him - they usually hung out by the river, when they went out without the group. 

_The… roof?_ He was a bit surprised. _Maybe not. There’s other stuff up there… a third floor… the student council classroom, which would be empty today… nah_. Still, his curiosity got the better of him, even as he knew he was being an idiot - a nosy idiot - as he climbed up to the roof. _The thing about working was a lie, I don’t know why I said it, so I can just say it was cancelled and suggest we all go to Aiya. They shouldn't care about me showing up, right? It's not like... they're gonna talk about anything_ private, _right?_

When he got out there, nobody was around, even when he checked around the huge turbines and pipes that criss-crossed the roof. He was equal parts relieved and let down; the roof was a common “confession” spot, but on the other hand, he really had wanted to hang out with Yu this afternoon, and who knows? Kanji could be confessing in an empty room somewhere. 

Yosuke realized he was staring out, lost in thought, towards the mountain; he sat down on the ledge to lean back against the turbine. _Might as well take a nap. Or something. I dunno. I’m just not ready to go home ye_ -

He’d just stretched out when the door opened to the roof, and he could hear voices - familiar voices. 

“Oh man, this stuff is the _best_. You wanna try some, senpai?” Kanji talked more loudly whenever he was nervous, and oh _boy_ he must be nervous now; Yosuke could hear every word, even as they were far enough that he only heard a quiet murmur from Yu - although, to be honest, Yu was _always_ quiet. 

For a second, Yosuke froze. _I should get up. Holy shit I should get up. Can I sneak away? Oh god, if they see me… but then if they start talking, and then they see me… shit…_

He’d just started to stand when the metal of one of the turbine casings nearby creaked, and he could tell that Kanji had leaned against it. “Senpai, I gotta… ask you something.”

Heart in his throat, Yosuke sat quietly back down. Even as he knew he needed to leave, he also desperately wanted to hear this conversation. 

Yu’s voice was quiet, but they were close enough that Yosuke could hear every word. 

“Sure, Kanji, of course.”

“What you said… a while back. About liking guys. Was that… true?”

* * *

Yu knew he was going to have to choose his words carefully. “Yeah. I mean… I guess I just don’t think much about guys or girls, if I like someone, I like someone." _Even if they’re sometimes immature, hyperactive little idiots with puppy-dog eyes and a heart of gold._

Kanji rubbed his neck, looking down. “You know, all that shit in the TV… I mean… I never thought it was true, but I just can’t look Naoto in the face, and-”

“But Naoto’s a girl, so-”

“So? She ain’t actin’ like one, is she? She don’t look like one. I like her, senpai, but I gotta know if I’m… how I am.”

Yu took a breath. “Okay, how can I help?”

“Well…” Kanji looked embarrassed. “You were sayin’ that you and that Ebihara chick - sorry, Ebihara-san - dated for, what, a week? To help her figure things out? I was wondering…”

Yu closed his eyes. _Exactly what I thought. At least he doesn’t like_ me, _that would make this a lot more awkward_.

“Kanji… I know I went out with Ai to help her out, but I don’t think that’s going to help _you_. If it would, Kanji, I’d think about it, but… Ai needed support. It wasn’t that she needed to figure things out, she just needed to know that someone - anyone - cared. That she wasn’t, as she termed it, “a waste of space.”” He shook his head. “I can give you support, but you don’t need me to be your boyfriend to do it.”

Kanji looked at him, dubiously, but didn’t say anything; after a moment to gather his thoughts, Yu continued.

“You say you like Naoto, right?”

A nod. “Yeah, I mean… I think so. I get flustered around her, and she makes my heart race really fast, and I just… want to be with her. Like, I’m jealous that you two are so close already, senpai.”

Yu laughed. “Don’t worry, Kanji, I have no interest in Naoto in that way. I’ve already got feelings for someone else, and I don’t think Naoto’s ever thought about me in that way, either. My point is, though, that _you like Naoto_. Naoto clearly isn’t that obsessed with whether she’s a girl or a guy, right?” Kanji nodded. “Would dating a guy - finding out you were attracted to him - change how you feel about Naoto?”

“No! I mean-” Understanding started to dawn on Kanji’s face. “I getcha, senpai. If I like Naoto, I like Naoto, right? It doesn’t matter if I like girls or guys, what matters is if I like her. Whether she’s a her or a him.”

With a gentle smile, Yu nodded. “Exactly. And face it, if she were interested in you - I don’t know if she is, we’ve never talked about that sort of thing - would you want her thinking you’re into someone else? Would you want the whole school talking about how ‘Kanji Tatsumi is gay’ when all you want to do is get to know Naoto? What would that tell her?”

Kanji was quiet for a long time before speaking up again. “Man, senpai… how the hell do you know all these things?” Kanji looked impressed. “You always know what to say.”

Yu thought about all the times he’d wanted to confess to Yosuke, and smiled faintly. “Not always. I’m just glad I can help now.”

Kanji gave him a knowing smile at this. “I getcha. That person you’re interested in right now, yeah? Who is it? You don’t have to tell me, but I can keep a secret…”

For a second, Yu hesitated - Kanji didn’t blab up and down the town like Teddie, but he had a certain obliviousness that sometimes made him the last one to catch on to certain things. Still, Yu was so tired of holding it in, and his heart hurt so much, that he figured if anyone would be able to give him a sympathetic ear, it would be Kanji. 

“Please don’t tell anyone,” he said. “It’s not a person who has any intention of liking me back, and I know that - but you can’t change how you feel, you know?”

“Yeah, I know. Man, senpai… you’ve got it bad. Do I know the person?”

Yu nodded even as he flushed a bit. “You’ll understand why I’m so desperate for him not to know… it’s Yosuke.”

Kanji started to nod in understanding, but suddenly, his eyes widened as he focused on something behind Yu, who whirled around in time to see his worst fear come true- 

Yosuke, standing behind them, a look of shock _and oh god that's disgust, it has to be_ plastered across his face. There was no doubt he’d heard every word Yu had just said.


	2. Chapter 2

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Part 2 of On the Roof

Yosuke already knew that Yu was a fucking chameleon - not that the group leader didn’t have his own, very distinctive personality, but he had always been adept at slipping into whatever role was required for the moment. Yosuke saw it in battle each time Yu summoned a different persona, their styles all so vastly disparate; he saw it now when Yu performed the Yosuke Dash™, turning heel and bolting towards the door leading back inside. 

“Wait, Yu- dammit- _wait_ -”

Yosuke followed, but Yu was so fast that with his few-second head-start, even the originator of the Dash™ couldn’t keep up with him, and Yu had been barricaded inside Dojima-san’s house for ten minutes before Yosuke arrived, huffing noisily and muttering about Yu joining the freaking track team instead of going for basketball.

There was no answer when he hammered on the door - well, his first knock was normal, as he knew that if Nanako was home, she’d answer the door. She didn’t - not unusual, as she often spent the afternoons after school at a friend’s house - so he hammered.

And hammered.

And hammered.

He knew there was no _possible_ way Yu wouldn’t hear him, wouldn’t have heard him yelling, following, feet pounding the sidewalk as they raced towards Yu’s house. He wished Yu would just fucking _talk_ to him. After he saw the curtains flutter on the neighbor’s side-facing window, he stopped hammering, stepped back, and looked down, thinking. 

_He’s clearly home. I mean, I didn’t see him go in - how the hell is that asshole not on the track team, seriously - but the little sunshade next to the garden is flipped up so that the plants get the afternoon sun. I know it was down today - I saw him turn it down, god he is so fucking meticulous - and nobody else ever does it. And_ -

Yosuke was looking up at Yu’s room, and he saw the curtain twitch, just for a moment. It wasn’t a stray breeze through a gap in the window frame - there was no breeze. _Idiot’s checking to see if I’ve left yet_.

He’d known Yu long enough to realize that Yu had a thing about seeming in control - of himself, at least, and of the situation. Nobody in their group had _ever_ seen Yu “fuck up” as much as Yosuke figured Yu was currently thinking he had, and he really couldn’t guess what the taller boy would do if Yosuke didn’t force a confrontation _now_ , before Yu had time to put on a facade and make something up. Chewing his lip, he thought hard for several minutes, finally reaching for his phone.

* * *

Yu stood at the upstairs window, breath held between gritted teeth, stomach churning so badly that he knew he’d be sick later, heart hammering so that he was amazed his hands were so steady. “Surgeons hands,” Sayoko had once called them, and she wasn’t wrong. _Too bad I can’t surgically remove Yosuke’s memory of the last hour. And while I’m at it, my heart_. 

He watched as the brunette looked around, then down at the pavement, chewing his lip; the sight was enough to make Yu wince. He was tired of feeling this way. Normally, he wouldn’t trade his crush on Yosuke-

_ok, let’s be honest, it’s more than a crush, I just won’t. Say. That. Out. Loud_.

-for anything, but right now, he wasn’t so sure. _If only he hadn’t been there when I was talking to Kanji! Why_ was _he there?_

At this point, Yu didn’t even know why he was refusing to respond. He was a very logical guy - too logical, if you asked some of the others, although he didn’t hold a candle to Naoto - and he _knew_ Yosuke knew he was home. He'd seen the garden. Probably seen the window. Yu _knew_ that Yosuke, the school idiot, was incredibly perceptive in real life.

_Except when it comes to his “partner” having an unrequited crush on him, but that was my effort versus his perception. But I can’t face him. Even if I logically know that hiding serves 0 purpose, at least_ -

His phone rang. It was Yosuke, of course; he ignored it, although he caught a glimpse through the curtain of Yosuke looking up at him as he held the phone to his ear.

It rang, again and again, starting back up after each disconnect. Six times; Yosuke didn’t leave a message with any of them. 

_Of course not. There’s nothing_ \- nothing - _he can say about this that he’d be willing to say in public, and I know Yosuke. He’s not going to go home until we talk about this. Of all the stubborn_ -

The phone in his hand - he’d been smart enough, at least, to mute it - lit up again. One text.

> open the damn door

_Nope. If I pretend to be dead, I can’t reasonably answer this_.

Yosuke didn’t wait more than a minute or two before sending him a handful of other texts; carefully avoiding opening any of them, Yu opened a new text, typed in Yosuke’s number - _ugh, I even know that by heart, don’t I?_ \- and typed out the stupidest text he’d ever sent, even counting every time he'd answered Teddie.

> The mailbox you are trying to reach is now full. Please do not try again later; Narukami Yu will be moving shortly, soon to be replaced by his cousin, Seta Souji.

To be honest, he didn’t even know what he was doing anymore. He wasn't going to move, couldn't give up the fight, the mystery. _Maybe I’m just hoping he’ll figure out that I’m not going to answer and leave me in blissful_ peace. _There’s only so much more of this that my stomach - and heart - can take. I feel sick_.

Carefully avoiding the curtains, Yu let himself fall back against the wall, sliding down into a crouch as his knees started to feel as if they were going to give out. He’d just reached the floor when his phone lit up again; another text.

> that sux, I like narukami yu, not seta souji

Yu’s eyes widened, and he froze, trying to figure out exactly what Yosuke meant; before he could even start to come to a conclusion, another message came in.

> rly pissed u made me confess thru txt, u suck

_Confess? What the_ -

It was a ruse, it had to be. It _was_ the one thing Yosuke knew would bring him down to the door. Even knowing it was a ruse, though, it was the one thing Yu couldn’t ignore. If it _was_ real…

Taking a deep breath - and fighting back the urge to be sick - he steadied himself and headed downstairs on wobbly knees. Slowly opening the outside door, he saw Yosuke standing, phone in one hand, face painfully red, arms crossed. 

“What the fuck, Yu?”

Yu made a faint gesture for Yosuke to come in, and his friend looked at him for a moment before shaking his head, kicking off his shoes, and going into the main room. He took his usual seat at the table, back to the TV, while Yu robotically followed, taking his own place like a perfect little wooden soldier.

There was silence while both looked down; finally Yu looked up. “What the fuck what?”

“Everything!” Yosuke’s voice had taken on that pitch he used when he was flustered and upset - although it was usually when talking to Chie or Teddie. “Everything! And how long would it have taken you to respond, if I hadn’t said what I did?”

The colour drained out of Yu’s face, and for a moment he matched his hair and eyes. He hadn’t realized how much he’d secretly hoped Yosuke’s confession was real, even after he’d convinced himself that it wasn’t. “Wait. Did you l-” He couldn’t bring himself to say the word “lie.” “It wasn’t tru-”


	3. Chapter 3

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Part 3 of On the Roof

A panicked look crossed the brunette’s face as he grabbed Yu’s shoulders, before the silver-haired boy could stand and run away again. “It wasn’t a lie!” His voice had gone from upset to panicked. “Hang on. _Shit_. Can we just… can we just talk about things?”

A warm, tingling sensation ebbed through Yu’s stomach, replacing the hot, sick feeling - although he still felt ill from the after-effects. For the moment, at least, he had a shred of hope. Nodding, he took another deep breath. “Okay. Then… why were you listening in on me and Kanji?”

Yosuke immediately flushed. “I wasn’t- I mean, I didn’t-” He looked down, taking a deep breath even as Yu sat there, waiting patiently. _I gotta be honest. Tell the truth, dipshit_. “Okay. Bear with me, this isn’t gonna be easy, because I wasn’t even thinking about it honestly then.”

Yu nodded, and Yosuke, after another deep breath, continued. “I… was jealous when you told me you were going to spend time with Kanji. I’d already figured he’d hit on you at some point - I saw his face when you said you were - you liked guys _and_ girls.” He shook his head. “Then I saw you guys heading for the roof, and everybody knows the roof is where you confess, so…” He swallowed. “I headed up. I guess I got there before you guys, though, and I just took a seat to catch my breath, but then you came out…”

“And you stayed hidden because you didn’t want us to wonder why you were already there when you’d told me you were working.”

Shame-facedly, Yosuke nodded. “But I was gonna leave, but then Kanji… started talking… and my nerves got the better of me.”

“Well, you know what they say about eavesdroppers never hearing anything nice about themselves.” Yu smiled a bit, and Yosuke looked up. 

“I dunno, I’m kinda glad-” He reddened, trailing off, and a rare - and still wary - smile crossed Yu’s lips. 

“So you _do_ like me? I was about to say, if you lied about that just to get me downstairs…”

“ _I didn’t lie_.” Yosuke’s tone was desperate. “I swear it. I probably never would have typed it if you’d actually _come downstairs_ , because I _wanted_ to tell you in a semi-normal situation - but I knew it would work, and at that point, I was grabbing at straws, man.”

Yu’s smile was wider now, and more confident, but he still looked a little wary. “Yosuke, you’ve always said-”

“ _I know_.” Yosuke almost wailed, and Yu blinked at the frustration in his voice. “I _know_. I just… I’ve always… when we first met, I thought you were the coolest guy, and I just wanted… to hang out with you forever. Every day revolved around whether the new guy was going to be in class, and if he would want to hang out. Shit, do you _really_ think I used to come to class every day? Hell no.” 

He bit his lip, focused on the table, and Yu couldn’t help wanting to reach out to touch him, although he restrained himself. After a moment, Yosuke shook his head, then continued. “My parents never really listen to me, you know that? They hear what I’m saying, but it goes in one ear and out the other. That’s probably why, a couple of weeks after you got here, my mom asked me if I’d asked this new girl out yet, since I was clearly so into her.”

At a muffled snort from Yu, he looked up; the other boy was laughing. “That’s kind of funny.”

Yosuke gave a wry smile. “Yeah, I guess, but at the time it freaked me out. I’d already started to feel guilty for getting over my crush on Saki-senpai - I’d liked her, but I didn’t _know_ her that well, and she didn't like _me_ like that - and suddenly I had my mom suggesting I liked you that much. That was fucked up, and weird, and nobody around here is “like that,” _you_ know. It terrified me, and then Kanji came around, and I just got more and more defensive. After all, you were my _friend_ , of course I didn’t want you thinking I was some creepy pervert.” Yu raised an eyebrow at this, hidden beneath silver hair, but said nothing; Yosuke shook his head, then continued.

“Then you said what you did about liking _everybody_ , and that just… totally changed everything, even though I refused to acknowledge it. I was still a fucking coward, but… I could spend time with you without worrying about grossing you out, at least, and oh, I was _so_ selfish, because it meant I could get those warm fuzzies without actually having to face myself, how I felt. How much I… l-liked you. Like you. A lot.” 

He looked up, slowly, and Yu was smiling at him. _Smiling_ , really smiling, that look that only ever crossed his friend’s face when everyone was together, having fun, and no one was fighting or kidnapped, and it was even brighter than that, it was _open_ , and to Yosuke it looked like the sun and he could stare at it forever, even if he knew he'd go blind from it. 

Still staring, the space between them began to close - they were leaning across the table - when they heard footsteps outside, and the tell-tale rattle that said someone was checking the lock on the outside door. They jumped apart, but before Yosuke fully straightened, Yu grabbed his arm, pulled him up, and dragged him towards and up the stairs. 

Luckily, Yu - ever meticulous, even on autopilot - had locked the door when Yosuke came in, so it took Nanako a minute or two to unlock it, giving both of them time to make it through Yu’s door, shut it, and take a quick seat before they heard Nanako’s cheerful, “I’m home!” from downstairs. Yosuke had only just caught his breath before there were footfalls on the stairs, and then a knock at Yu’s door.

“Big bro?”

“I’m here, Nanako.”

The six-year-old peeked around the door and smiled when she saw Yosuke. “Is Yosuke staying for dinner?” 

The brunette reached for his phone to see the time, but before he could get his hand into his pocket, Yu was nodding. “Yeah. We’ve got to discuss some stuff for a project, so he’ll be staying this afternoon, is that ok? Will your dad be home?”

Yosuke sucked in a quick breath at this. Dojima-san was a detective, and the way things were right now, he _really_ didn’t want anyone figuring out what was going on between him and Yu before _he_ figured it out, himself. He exhaled with relief when Nanako shook her head. 

“No, he has to work.” Her face fell, and Yosuke immediately felt guilty for his relief - he knew how much Nanako adored her father - but felt better when her smile brightened. “It’s ok! I like it when big bro has friends over!” She put her hand over her mouth and giggled, and Yosuke smiled. 

“Thanks for letting me stay, Nanako-chan. Are you cooking tonight?”

She shook her head. “Nu-uh. I picked up some stuff.” 

Yu looked up at the clock. “Give us a half hour or so, and I’ll come down to make rice and miso soup.”

“Okay!” She gave another bright smile and disappeared, the door closing before they heard her footsteps running down the stairs again.

“Damn, dude, you lucked out. She’s the cutest little sister ever, you know? I got stuck with Teddie.”

Yu laughed. “Yeah… it’s nice. I always liked being an only child, but this is… really nice.” He looked back at the clock, and then to Yosuke. “Mind if I join you on the couch?” He’d taken the seat at his desk when they’d come in, trying not to make anything weird.

At the question, Things Got Real Again for Yosuke, and he swallowed. “Uh.” His eyes darted to Yu, then to the couch, then back to Yu - though he had trouble meeting those grey eyes - and nodded. “Y-yeah.”

Yu crossed in front of the table, taking a seat at the other end of the couch - close enough that they could touch if they decided they wanted to, but far enough that Yosuke wouldn’t feel threatened. _I hope. Pleasepleasepleaseplease don’t let me fuck this up_. Yu never swore unless it mattered, but Yosuke Mattered, in every conceivable way.

“So. I’m not going to forget about what happened, and I know you’re not, either, even if you try to say you want to, so- where does this go?” He leaned over, since Yosuke was staring down at his hands, and caught the other boy’s eye, pulling his gaze back up so that they were looking at each other. 

Yosuke was bright red, and he looked uneasy, but not uncomfortable. _Heh. Trust Yu to already cut me out of_ that _suggestion. Dammit, he knows me too well_.

“Well…” He passed a hand across his face, brushing his bangs out of his eyes, a familiar gesture that made Yu’s heart squeeze. “I guess you won’t let me _say_ I forgot it?” He looked half-hopeful, half-guilty. “No. I know, _I know_. That’s not fair to you, or me.” He’d seen a quick flicker of pain flash across Yu’s face, and just that one glimpse smote him. _Dammit, Yu, you’re no_ fair.

There was silence for a bit; Yu was still feeling hesitant, and nervous - _oh_ so nervous - and he wasn’t going to push Yosuke into anything he might regret, and Yosuke was still trying to figure out what he’d never let himself actually think about before. Finally, the shorter boy rubbed his hands across his face. “Shit. Okay, so.” 

He fell silent again, glancing at Yu; he could tell the other boy was still waiting for his answer, but Yu was patient, and there was no sign of annoyance. It was comforting, that Yu was willing to wait for him, and it made Yosuke love him all the more. 

… _oh_.

… _**oh**_.

And suddenly, it wasn’t a question any longer. Yu was a rock, but Yosuke wasn’t stuck between a rock and a hard place ( _heh heh heh, dammit Self_ ), he was being supported by Yu, by Yu’s strength and persistence, and that was the same rock that had been there to support him the entire time Yu had been in Inaba. From that first day, stuck in a trash can, to his whole life, stuck in a rut - Yu was the one person who listened, who helped, who _cared_. Chie, Yukiko, Kanji, the rest - they were friends, but they still gave him odd looks when he acted out and his jokes were just as likely to fall flat with them as to make them laugh. His parents - what had he said to Yu? They never listened. It went in one ear and out the other. School was a fucking bust - but ever since Yu had shown up, and he’d seen his friend with top marks, and Yu’d offered to study together, well… he was doing better, maybe had a future doing something other than following his father into the Junes business, seriously _who wanted that?_ And it was all because of Narukami Yu. Yu laughed at his jokes, smiled when he was happy, listened when he shared some new cd or game he’d found. Yu shared late nights with Chinese food and long study sessions and just… the _stupidest_ conversations, but they both had fun. Yu had seen his shadow, and shrugged, and said “it’s ok.” 

Yosuke finally looked up, his cheeks pink. “I… l-love you.” 

Yu’s reaction was more intense than Yosuke had expected - his eyes opened wide, almost saucers, and he gripped his own knees, knuckles white. Suddenly, Yosuke realized that the whole thought process had been in _his_ head, and no matter how much it seemed like the two of them shared the same brain cells, they _didn’t_ have telepathy, and he’d gone from sheepishly admitting he wanted to forget the whole thing to declaring his love, and of course Yu was confused. He covered his bright red face with one hand. “Real smooth, Yosuke.”

This was enough to help Yu breathe again - which was good, since everything was going a bit hazy, and not just from having Yosuke less than an arm’s length away. He’d known the other boy was thinking - and some of what he’d been thinking was showing at least a _little_ on his face - but it wasn’t like his cheekbones had letters etched across them no matter how nice… and high… and _okay, Yu, focus_. Either way, he didn’t expect to hear the “L” word, not _now_ , certainly, maybe not for a long time, maybe not forever. _And he’s so… damn…_

He exhaled again, heavily, and leaned forward. “Yosuke.” His voice was hoarse, and the sound made Yosuke turn even redder, and Yu found it fucking _adorable_. “Please. Please tell me that I can relax a little bit, and maybe… not have to worry about scaring you off?”

Yosuke’s eyes widened at this, at the implication, and bit his lip, and at his nod Yu gave a shuddering sigh of relief, dropping his forehead to his friend’s - _maybe boyfriend? Soon?_ \- shoulder. “Thank you. I-” He looked up, realizing he hadn’t answered Yosuke, and smiled. “I love you, too. Have for a while, now.”

Their faces were inches away at this, and Yosuke, inhaling sharply - _oh god, Yu smells so good_ \- was torn between assuaging his curiosity and asking when the silver-haired boy _had_ started to like him, and just shutting up and kissing him. 

The kiss won out, and this seemed to surprise Yu, but also please him, and the sigh of satisfaction he gave was enough to nearly drive Yosuke to distraction, and his lips were so _warm_ , and he hadn’t expected it to seem so… _normal, I mean, I’ve kissed girls, this doesn’t feel any different, except… it is, I don’t know how… but… I… like… it…_

His thoughts fractured as Yu slid a hand around his neck and up into his hair and suddenly his whole world was a small pinprick of grey eyes and silver hair and warm lips and-

-and suddenly the clock tower a block away chimed the half hour and Yu - meticulous and _fucking reliable_ Yu gave a reluctant sigh as he pulled away, although he kept his hand in Yosuke’s hair, playing gently with the fine strands at the back of his neck, which was _really arousing_. Yosuke gave him a look.

Yu flushed, holding a hand up even as he cursed Yosuke’s natural puppy-dog eyes. “I promised Nanako I’d make rice and soup, remember?”

“Yeah.” A sigh as Yosuke rubbed his face.

“Well…” Yu was already standing up, but he gave Yosuke a sideways look. “Want to stay the night? When Dojima-san works late, he usually isn’t home until after midnight, and you’ve always had a standing invitation to stay over."

He’d taken it before, too, but _this… this is a lot, a lot to think about, it's kind of a lot terrifying, but I don't want to go home yet, we've got a lot to talk about, and that kiss…_

The look of uncertainty must have shown on Yosuke’s face, because Yu turned back to put a hand on his shoulder. “You don’t have to, but we also- don’t worry. I don’t want to move too fast. I just want to spend some time together. Talk.”

 _Talking sounds good_. With a smile, Yosuke nodded. “Let me call my folks.”


	4. Chapter 4

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Part 4 (last) of On the Roof.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I guess I really have a domesticity thing... and I really loved finding out that in the Japanese version of P4, Nanako calls the group -oniichan and -oneechan (Yosuke-oniichan!), so that's a thing, too. I'll have to work it into other stories. There will be other stories. They'll all be as ridiculously fluffy even when they're angsty.

Yosuke called his parents while Yu went downstairs to cook, and Nanako was just setting out the kinpira, chawanmushi, and chicken karaage when he came into the main room. “Smells amazing. Can I help?”

“Uhhh, you can…” Nanako looked up at Yu, who nodded to the drawer. 

“Chopsticks and napkins, please.”

Yosuke grabbed three sets of chopsticks as Yu dished out three bowls of rice, then looked at Yosuke. “That enough?”

“Yeah.” _This feels… nice, but really weird. Like a family_. He quickly carried his chopsticks and napkins to set the table, hiding his face, and Nanako was too busy to notice anyway. 

Finally, Yu brought a tray with three bowls of steaming soup over to the table, carefully setting them down before sliding the tray out of the way. “You get the ok?”

Yosuke nodded, and Nanako looked up. “Okay?”

“Yosuke’s gonna spend the night,” Yu said, handing Yosuke a bottle of oolong. 

Nanako’s eyes sparkled. “Yaay! It’s always fun when people spend the night!” She clapped. “Um… big bro, I have homework…”

Yu looked at Yosuke, who smiled and looked back at the little girl. “How about we both help you, Nanako-chan? I’m not as smart as “big bro”, but-” _oh god Yu don’t_ kick _me!_ “-I’m sure I can do something.”

“Would you? Yay! Thank you!”

Yosuke had stayed for dinner with Yu and the Dojimas - often just Nanako, but sometimes her father - at least a dozen times, and it was probably more times than he’d sat down with his parents, or at least both his parents, focused and willing to talk. Here, the TV was on, sure, but it was just background news while Nanako told them about her day, and the three of them talked, and it was just… _nice_. More than once, he caught Yu smiling at him - _probably not any more than usual can I please stop being weird thanks_ \- but even that stopped embarrassing him after a while, eventually just becoming warm and comfortable.

They ate, then helped Nanako with her homework - Yosuke got embarrassed again when she had to draw a family photo from that night and she drew Yu and Yosuke helping her with her reading - and then they watched an episode of her favourite show before Yu headed off to tuck her into bed. 

While they were gone, Yosuke walked to the patio door, looking out at the sky. _It’s really clear tonight. It’s been a while since anything happened… maybe it is over? Damn, probably not, but right now… I’ve got other things I want to think about_. 

He didn’t hear Yu walk up behind him - Yu, like his beloved cats, _padded_ everywhere, and if it hadn’t already been a habit of his, it would have startled Yosuke out of his skin when his voice sounded right behind him. “Nice moon tonight, isn’t it?” Yosuke still jumped, but that was more because… well… it was _Yu_ , and he was going to spend the night, and that voice brought back ridiculous memories of soft lips and a pinpoint of grey eyes and silver hair. 

“Uh, yeah.” He turned around, hoping the dim light would hide the blush that thought brought. “Nanako-chan asleep?”

“Yeah. She told me to tell you good-night.”

This brought a smile to Yosuke’s face. “She’s a good kid. Really good. I’d like to have a little sister like her. Heck, she’s kinda like a little sister to the whole group.”

Yu smiled at this, the same bright smile he’d given Yosuke earlier, but Yosuke didn’t mind. Everybody loved Nanako. “Yeah… well. I kinda hope you’ll come over more often from now on… you can get to know her better.” 

Yosuke smiled more. “I’d do it anyway, but… yeah. Hey, maybe she’ll call _me_ big bro some day, too.”

The words were barely out of his mouth before he realized what they meant - _shit shit I just meant if I’m over here a lot, not… crap_... But Yu just smiled, looked up at the moon, and let him calm his embarrassment before turning back to face him. 

“Let’s go upstairs.”

Yu was glad that Yosuke was happy, despite the occasional moment of embarrassment. He’d expected something of the sort, and right now, having Yosuke here, _with_ him - not just ‘with’ him, there was a difference - was more than enough that he could ignore any niggling little urges as something to deal with another time. They had time. They’d get to it.

He followed Yosuke upstairs, definitely noticing each time the brunette’s hand brushed his own - a gesture he returned, even as he left any choices about hand-holding up to Yosuke - and when they got inside, he headed for his dresser. “Need some sleep clothes, right?” They’d done this a few times, it hadn’t bothered either of them. 

“Uh, yeah.” Yosuke sat down on the couch again, gingerly, and after a moment, Yu tossed him a handful of clean, _meticulously_ folded clothes. Yosuke caught them. “Um…”

“You want a bath first?” Yu was determined to keep things as normal as possible, and for that, Yosuke was grateful. “Not that I expect us to go to bed for a while, I just figure, why not change into something more comfortable, and why do that before we take baths. Plus, we won’t have to worry about randomly falling asleep without a bath.” 

Yosuke nodded, not saying anything, and after about an hour they were both changed and sitting back on the couch. Yu faced Yosuke, one leg bent on the couch, one on the floor; Yosuke mirrored him. Finally, Yosuke got up the courage to ask the question he’d had since they’d talked before dinner.

“So, uh…” He picked at the edge of his pants leg. “Since when?”

“Since I liked you?” Yu looked out the window, up at the moon. “I don’t know, but it was probably pretty early on. I’ve always been attracted to fun, open people, and you were great. I guess it was when things started to get pretty heavy about Saki that I started to really get angsty, and I knew it for sure when we went in for Kanji.”

“The bathhouse?” Yoskue raised an eyebrow, and Yu frowned, just a little. 

Picking his words carefully, he nodded. “Yeah, uh. The way you reacted to Kanji, it- hit me pretty hard. That’s why I spoke up, but… that’s also why it took me a month or two to do so. Even then I was pretty sure you weren’t going to spend any more time afterwards with me than you had to, like you do with Kanji.”

Yosuke winced. “Shit, man, I- I’m sorry. I didn’t realize…” 

Yu smiled before the mood could get too heavy, scooting just a little closer as he slid a hand along Yosuke’s arm, resting it on his shoulder. “Don’t. You apologized to both of us, and if you’ve been a bit of an ass to Kanji since then, well… you can make it up to him. It’s ok, so long as you get it now.” 

He rubbed the shoulder his hand was resting on gently, trying to keep the mood positive; when Yosuke gave him a nod and a smile that had more than a hint of gratefulness, he leaned in. The kiss this time was less speculation, more spice; by the time they pulled apart, Yu was sitting between Yosuke’s legs and they were all hands, mussed hair and rumpled clothes, and Yosuke swore he saw stars in Yu’s cloud-grey eyes. 

Yosuke was just about to say something, breathlessly, when Yu smiled. “ _Damn_ , partner.”

Yu had never called him _partner_ before, and Yosuke’s wide-eyed response seemed to be everything the silver-haired boy had wanted, so he did it again. “So, _partner_ … speaking of that…”

“Yeah?” Yosuke was having trouble thinking, _words should not do that to me_ even as Yu reached up to run a hand through his hair again. After a smile, the taller boy’s face grew serious and that was more than enough to sober Yosuke up. “Uh?” _Is it me, or does Yu look… nervous? What the hell…_

Yu _was_ nervous. He took a deep breath, then looked off slightly to one side. “Is this a thing, now? Are… _we_... a thing?” He watched Yosuke out of the corner of his eye, seeing the puzzled expression suddenly turn to one of embarrassment and recognition. 

_Shit. That’s the other shoe_. Yosuke had to look down at his hands - just as he hadn’t ever forced himself to really come to terms with his feelings for Yu before, he’d also never thought about what being together - being _in love_ \- would bring.

A flicker of movement caught his attention and he looked up; Yu was watching him, and the anxiety and nervousness - already starting to melt into pain - was heartbreaking. Yosuke reached out to grab his shoulders. “Hang on! Look, I’m not saying no, I just… have to think about all of this. Shit, it’s not fair if I just say yes, and then I don’t realize exactly, and…”

Yu exhaled, smiling shakily. “Yeah, I know, and you’re right. I appreciate it.” He wrapped a hand around one of Yosuke’s, and the brunette found himself staring at their hands, together. _Do I… yes. I do. But I still… need some time_ … 

Finally, he looked up again, meeting Yu’s eyes as he took a deep breath. “I.. yes. We’re a thing. I’m not ashamed of it. But I know that running around and shrieking that we’re a couple probably would bring too much trouble, no matter how much it’s worth. Is it fair to say I want to be careful about it?”

Yu nodded. “I can understand that. I don’t… want to lie if anyone asks us, but we can be careful not to give anyone a reason to ask. Is that enough? What about… Nanako and Dojima-san? The group? I assume we want to keep it from your parents…”

Yosuke gave a short bark of a laugh. “I told you, dude, my parents don’t listen. In one ear, and all that. But… yeah. Given the town’s opinion of Junes, that’s probably a good plan. As for Dojima-san…” He looked dubious. “You know him better than I do.”

“I trust him.” Yu nodded, solemnly, even as he found himself winding and unwinding his fingers from around Yosuke’s. “I think he’d be happy for us, just warn us to be careful. Which is why I understand your point. As for the group…?”

“I don’t think we can hide it, you know? If we tried, we’d just end up a shadow show the next time we went into the TV world and… Yu… honestly… the idea of facing your shadow scares the _shit_ out of me. I can’t even imagine.”

Yu had not expected this, and he started to laugh. “Seriously? Well, I guess that’d be some sort of twisted Izanagi, and yeah, I guess that would be pretty terrifying. I guess we just have to… be careful. Maybe we should actually _tell_ them? Somewhere safe? I think once we talk it out, they’ll understand our concerns.”

Yosuke sighed heavily. “I wish we could keep it from Ted, but I know that’s not really fair, and, well… he’s probably the _easiest_ one to blow off, even if he says something, as nonsense, because when is that bear _not_ spouting nonsense?”

They laughed together, and Yosuke had the fleeting thought that _laughing together has never felt so amazing_ even as he shoved the thought aside in embarrassment. “We could have hotpot this weekend, invite everyone over…”

“Offering my house already, aren’t you? I’m glad you feel at home.” Yu smirked, and Yosuke flushed, but before he could respond Yu gently kissed him. “No, really, it’s a good idea and I want you to be happy here. You’re family.”

This - _this_ \- hit Yosuke harder than almost anything else Yu had said and he closed his eyes, resting his forehead against Yu’s. Before tears could form, Yu leaned in and kissed him, slow and sweet; his voice was soft, as were his palms on Yosuke’s cheeks. “Can I call you my boyfriend, then, when we’re around the right people?”

 _Boyfriend_. The word was kind of terrifying, just like the thought of… things leading too far that night, or the thought of the world suddenly finding out about the two of them, all at once, but it was a manageable kind of terror, and he nodded. “Yeah.”

After all, he and Yu - _his boyfriend_ \- were used to facing terrifying things, shadows, murderers, and bumps-in-the-night. Together. They’d face _these_ terrors together, too, and defeat them, together.

They had time.


End file.
